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Show IpoSsBi Released by Western Newspaper Union. OIGH school athletics will con- tinue for the duration and football, foot-ball, basketball, track and other sports will have their places In the 1943 picture. Such is the concensus of high school athletic association officials, who feel that their sports program will be emphasized, rather than de-emphasized de-emphasized during the coming months. H. V. Porter, executive secretary of the National Federation of State High School Athletic associations, summed matters up neatly when he said: "The concensus Is that the draft of 18-year-olds will have little effect on prep sports since the average ace of high school athletes is 17. Transportation, of course, will be the problem, but schools plan schedules sched-ules close to home, placing emphasis empha-sis on interscbolastic sports that build physical fitness, offer competitive competi-tive action and lift the morale of the local community." Members of the high school athletic ath-letic association aren't talking through their collective hats. Su-veys Su-veys conducted by Porter's office show that high schools in 40 states will strengthen their '43 programs. Changing Outlook Only last fall many school officials were straddling the fence, uncertain as to the future of their athletics. As a result, about 5 per cent of the schools dropped 11-man football and about 15 per cent abandoned six-man six-man football. Now the officials are almost unanimous unan-imous in the belief that it is their patriotic duty to carry on. It is also a matter of record that high school athletic staffs have been reduced about 25 per cent since the start of the war. In 1942 travel was reduced about 35 per cent, with a further reduction certain. High school squads used railroads, busses or common carriers In considerably less than half of their trips. Privately Pri-vately owned automobiles carried the teams in more than 62 per cent of the trips. Recent actions on the part of various vari-ous community school boards and college administrative- bodies abandoning aban-doning athletics have not daunted the young men who are determined to compete in their favorite sports until called for military service. An official of the Michigan High School Athletic, association recently pointed out that if schools were going ito give up high school basketball and other sports then outside organizations organi-zations would gladly step in and promote tournaments, games and meets. Outside Help In commenting on this statement, Major John L. Griffith, Big Ten commissioner, com-missioner, added: "... if the high school men do not find ways of transporting players play-ers within reason, we may expect that the representatives of other organizations, or-ganizations, who would gladly have the honor of promoting athletics for the high school boys, will see that the teams are moved from place to place." Major Griffith was right. Civic clubs and interested business men of the smaller towns would see to it that the boys are provided necessary neces-sary transportation facilities. A factual story is told of one university uni-versity south of the Mason-Dixon line. The powers that be decided to drop intercollegiate athletics. In the face of that obstacle the school's athletes went but and rounded up their own competition. The students are making up their own schedules and arranging all details. A conference con-ference in a nearby state agreed to help the boys out by scheduling them. Although this happened in a college, col-lege, the determination to take part in athletics is not confined to any of the younger age groups. High school athletics are as enthusiastic as are their collegiate contemporaries. Usually more so. Sports History That youth will find some' means of serving itself is proved by the history of American intercollegiate athletics. Veteran observers will recall re-call that it .wasn't so long ago that students launched the collegiate athletic ath-letic program because of the desire to engage other schools in competition. competi-tion. Although student management eventually became too ambitious and resulted in unethical practices prac-tices and consequent regulatory faculty fac-ulty control, it was nonetheless the vigorous desire of the student athlete ath-lete to meet outside opposition which gave the present day program its start. The average small town sports enthusiast en-thusiast can remember when his local high school bad no athletic coach and very little equipment Those things usually were added when enough boys decided tiiey wanted to have a team-football or basketball in most instances. If that determination continued and the boys proved their interest was genuine genu-ine and lasting, school officials usually usu-ally proved equal to the occasion. Those small towns who overcame financial handicaps have contributed much to the American sports program. |